Thermostatic valve



Oct. 7, 1.941. H. .LDE N."MccoLLUM 2,257,972

-THERMOSTATIC VALVE Original Filed Jan. 14, 1937 A struction devised byme for which that its upper latentedoet. 7, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE i "rnamuczi'src VALVE l.

Divided and ber 29,1937, -Serial No.

this application Novemclaims; (onzas-iol) i This application is a"division of my copending application Serial No. 120,524, filed January14, 1937, and relates generally to thermostatically controlled lvalves.

f In my aforesaid copending application is disclosed an automobileheaterY of the internal combustion type in which it is desirable toadmit atmospheric air to-the combustion chamber whenever the radiatorbecomes overheated or the air circulating fan fails. The particularvalve conaccomplishing this result forms the subject matter of thepresent invention.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improvedthermostaticallycontrolled -valve mechanism which is operative when at alow temperature to hold the valve ilrmly closed, and as the temperatureincreases, to decrease the force tending to hold the valve closed and topermit it to open due to'differential pressure upon the opposite sidesof the valve.

- It is a further object to provide an improved temperature responsivevalve mechanism in which the valve is held rmly closed under onetemperature condition, whereas, at othertemperatures, the valve isresiliently held closed.

. A kfurther object is to provide a simple and effective temperatureresponsive check valve means adapted for use in-internal combustion typeautomobile heaters and Similar devices, presents little likelihood ofgetting out of order. and which may be economically manufactured.

Other objects will appear from the-following description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing, in which: l

Fig. 1 is a central vertical sectional view of the valve mechanismshowing the valve in normal closed position;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the valve in open position; andy Fig. 3is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Thevalve mechanism is shown as applied to the end of a pipe, or tube I0and which is adapted to be'heat'ed from a source of radiant and con- Asbest shown 1n Figs. rand 2, the valve body I6 is provided with airusto-conical seat 28 against which a hemisphesical valve 22 to engage.The valve 22 is preferably formed integrally with a stem 24 whichprojects through the free end of a thermo' a hole 26 formed in staticstrip I8. A pair of oppositely facing cupthe free end thereof shapedspring saddles 28, 38 are slidably mounted upon the stem 24, beingnormally held in sep arated position by a compression coil spring I2.Upward sliding movement of the saddle cup 28 is prevented by ears 34struck `on the stem 24. A separator 36, illustrated as a tube, holds thespring saddle cups mal operating conditions hemispherical valve 22 wouldbe held in position closing the port 38 in l the end of the valve seatmember I8, as shown Vin Fig. 1, wherein the bimetal thermostatic stripI8 re'siliently engages the lower saddle 30,l and Ythrough the latter,the spacing sleeve 38 and saddle 28 resiliently hold the valve seat 20.l

When, however,` the radiator I2, and hence the thermostatic strip I8,become excessively hot, the thermostatic strip I8 will contractto the.position in which it position, the valve 22 can be held against itsseat only by the spring 32, so'that if the pressure in thetube or pipeis sure. atmospheric pressure acting upon the outer face of the valve 22will move the latter from the position in which it is shown in dottedlines in Fig. 2 to the position inwhich it is shown in full lines insaid ligure. n

As the thermostatic strip I8 becomes cooler', will move outwardly andforce by which the valve gradually increase the 22 is held against itsseat20, due to increasing compression of the spring 32. When the spring32 has been compressed to such an extent that the separator 36 forms apositive stop preventvex heat, diagrammatically represented as a ra- AI4 and valve body I6.

0 extends at an angle so ing further movement of the spring saddle Ilrelative to the spring saddle 28, the full torce o! the thermostaticstrip I8 is applied to the valve -22 to hold the latter on its seat. Thethermostatic strip I8 may be so proportioned relative to the effectivearea of the valve 22 that at certain relatively low temperatures thevalve 22 will be held against its seatwith such great force that nodegree of vacuum in the tube I8 will be sufficient to open the valve.The spring 32 is su!- tlciently long in its uncompressed state that theA free vend of the thermostatic element maymove up against the end faceof the valve body I8 without entirely relieving the spring.

is adapted 28, 30 separated. Under nor- 22 against its is shown in Fig.2. In this less than atmospheric pres-- heat .responsive The valve of myinvention is particularly use- -ful where the body into which air orother fluid is to be admitted, under certain temperature conditions,contains obnoxious or dangerous gases or fumes and in which the pressureis not unitormly below atmospheric pressure or below the pressure ofsome other iluid which is to beadmitted to the body. i

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment ,of myinvention, it will be under stood by those skilled in the art that theprinciples of the invention may be embodied in many other forms, allcoming within thev scope oi the claims which follow.

n I claim:

1. A temperature responsive control valve for internal combustionheaters comprising a tubular support, an inwardly facing valve seatsecured to said support, a bimetal thermostatic element having one endsecured to said support, a valve engageable with said seat, a resilientlost motion connection between said valve and the free end of saidelement to yieldingly-hold said valve outl 1 wardlyagainst said, seatwhen said element is heated above a predetermined temperature, andpositively operating means to hold said valve against said seat whensaid element is cooled below said predetermined temperature.

2. A thermostatically controlled valve comprising a valve seat, a valveengageable with said seat, heat responsive means eective at low tein-Vperatures positivelyr to hold said valve closed and ineiective to holdsaid valve closed at high temperatures, and resilient means eiectivewhen said means is ineiective to hold said valve against said seat,

3. A. temperature responsive 'valve comprising `valve seat in said body,

. one end clamped between posed between said heat responsive element andsaid valve to causev said element positively to hold said valve againstits seat when said elementis at a predetermined relatively lowvtemperature. g l

4. A thermostatically controlled valve comprising a tube, a nut and avalve body threaded upon said tube, a thermostatic element having oneend surrounding said tube and clamped between said nut and said body, aninwardly facing a valve cooperable with said seat, a resilient membertending Yto hold said valve outwardly against said seat, and meansactuated by said thermostatic element for increasing thedegree ofdeformation of said resilient element with decreases in the temperatureoi the thermostatic element.

5. A thermostatically controlled valve comprising a tube, a nut and avalve body threaded upon said tube, a thermostatic element having saidnut and body, a valve seat in said body, a. valve engageable with saidseat, a spring for holding said valve against said seat, meanscontrolled by said thermostatic element for increasing the degree oideformation of said spring with decreases in the temperature of saidthermostatic element, and a rigid member foi` transmitting force fromsaid thermo static element to said valve after said spring has beendeformedV to a predetermined extent.'

HENRY J. DE N. McCOLLUM.

